Sunday, May 24, 2015

Losing Yourself in Service to Others

I usually look forward to Saturday being my day of relaxation and self-indulgence. I rarely get much self-indulgence so Saturdays more often turn into grouchy days. But a recent Saturday was different.

In the morning I woke up early to weed the strawberry patch. I went in for breakfast just in time to inhale some toast before running off to help a family move. Before and after lunch I installed our window air-conditioner unit and rototilled some land. Then I went with my son to watch grandpa hook a disc mower up to the tractor and prepare for mowing (grease, pump up tires, check fluids, sharpen blades, etc). At 3 PM was a baptism followed by a visit to a friend who I haven't seen at church for a while. After dinner I went with five other men to help someone else load furniture into a U-Haul trailer. I spent a little more time in the strawberry patch followed by a brief birthday celebration then bedtime for the children.

In the evening someone mentioned their irritation with another person's actions. Usually I would be irritated too, especially since Saturdays are my grumpy days, but I wasn't that night. I sat there thinking about how great I felt. I wasn't worried about anything. Nothing was getting under my skin. I had no problems.

How did that happen?

I spent the entire day working and serving others. I did nothing for myself except eat. I proud of how productive I had been and I was filled with charity. I remembered that I'm not the only person with needs.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. - Matthew 16:25
As I listed to someone voice their irritation that night, I knew the antidote they needed was to lose themselves in serving others--I had just proven to myself that it works.

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